​VIDEO: JF-17 breaks cover at Myanmar air force party

The Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 Thunder has appeared at a celebration to mark the 71st anniversary of Myanmar’s air force.

Images and video of the 15 December event on social media show four JF-17s are visible on static display in Myanmar’s distinctive blue camouflage scheme. One image shows a Myanmar officer inspecting a JF-17 cockpit, with a special ‘71’ logo visible on the jet’s fuselage.

Despite persistent rumors about a Myanmar sale for the single-engined type, and the appearance of a JF-17 in the Myanmar camouflage scheme last year, officials from Pakistan and China have not officially announced the deal.

On 16 December, China’s official news agency, Xinhua, reported that the Myanmar Air Force has inaugurated seven new types of aircraft and helicopters to mark its 71st anniversary.

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Myanmar has six in service JF-17s. Other additions in the last few years are 10 Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainers, a single Shaanxi Y-8, 20 Grob G120TPs, three Soko G-4s, 12 Hongdu K-8s, and 31 UAC MiG-29s.

Social media footage from the 71st anniversary event shows several types appearing in the flying display, including MiG-29s, Yak-130s, and K-8s.